Fylde residents vow to battle on

Fylde residents have vowed to battle on despite the Government backing the shale gas industry and allowing horizontal fracking to go-ahead at Preston New Road near Little Plumpton.

Pam Foster, from Residents Action on Fylde Fracking, said: “This decision doesn’t surprise us. We are dealing with a Luddite Government that is fixed on drilling for fossil fuels when it should be creating thousands of new jobs by investing in clean green energy.

Pam Foster

“By riding roughshod over Lancashire County Council’s decision, Sajid Javid has shown that he cares little for democracy or for the health and welfare of Lancashire’s residents, not to mention climate change.

“The strength of opposition to fracking is immense and is growing daily.

“We will carry on fighting and we won’t stop until we have stopped this dirty, polluting industry.

“The anti-fracking movement will come together to ensure that fracking never happens anywhere.”

The anti-fracking movement will come together to ensure that fracking never happens anywhere

John Hobson, from Defend Lytham, stated: “We are extremely disappointed by the government’s pick and mix approach to democracy which seems to involve moving the decision further and further away from local decision makers until the desired outcome is achieved.

“For the local residents at Roseacre and Preston New Road this must come as a bitter blow.

“For other residents in the Fylde, the knowledge that the fracking industry is poised to start its invasion of our area will be a wake up call to those who have so far allowed the potential impacts of this invasive industry to pass them by.

“However, getting planning permission is only the first step on a long journey for Cuadrilla.

John Hobson

“Attempting to frack in an area where they have demonstrated that they have no social licence to operate is likely to prove extremely problematic for them, especially now that locally-made decisions have been overturned.”